personal narratives, self-discovery, universality

Birch: symbol of hearth and home

“And then there was my birch buddy, never failing to wave in the picture window with its branches posing like an umbrella over our reflection, providing peace in the silence and innocence of child and home.”

When I was a little girl, I remember sitting on my Dad’s lap in the wingback chair in the living room after dinner. We sat snuggly in the corner, just the two of us, our eyes focused on the storybook’s pages. And the darkness of night seen through the window next to us was a mural of infinity. There seemed to be no end to the outside world. Whether out there during an afternoon of scattered play, or inside in concentrated motion of page-turning, my tree remained a source of security, and home.

It is written in, The Birch – Bright Tree of Life and Legend by John Peyton that “The birch was a sacred tree, a friend of man, animals and the earth. It provided shelter, heat, and many other blessings for humans.”

Birch used by Native American Indians was a symbol of new beginnings; Ancient Europeans hold the birch as a symbol of hearth & home.

In Lesson of the Birch, by Jane Gifford, “The birch tree symbolizes a fresh start and can bring courage and determination to those of us who are treading the path of spiritual growth and development for the first time.

Under the Birch Tree, due out June 2018, will walk you through as I discover connections during my years of growth and development.

Just as I was nestled that one evening inside under the protection of my birch tree growing outside, my birch seemed to shadow me as I searched for my place to be, my home.